Watch bracelet



Feb. 6, 1962 o. F. PLACCC ETAL 3,019,503

WATCH BRACELET Filed July 11, 1958 Fig.2

F795 Oscar l-Z Placco 8 36 Paul E. Stone 8 Frank P. Keyes INV EN TORS all United States Patent 3,019,503 WATCH BRACELET Oscar F. Placco, Paul E. Stone, and Frank I. Keyes, Albuquerque, N. Mex., assignors to Bell Trading Post, Ltd., a limited partnership of New Mexico Filed July 11, 1958, Ser. No. 747,886 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-265) The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a wrist encircling or embracing bracelet, a watch which is suitable for use in conjunction with the bracelet, and novel clips which are suitably fixed on vantage points atop the bracelet for securely attaching the watch to the bracelet. In reducing the idea or concept to practice your applicants realized of course, that a splittype bracelet, such as is herein revealed, is in and of itself old. Also a wrist watch as such is old.

As a matter of fact wrist watches have been mounted in one manner or another atop the median portion of a bracelet. It follows that in carrying out the underlying principles of the invention there has been evolved and produced a novel way and suitable means whereby extensions at the ends of the watch case, which have holes therein, may be securely hooked and fastened on the bracelet or band in a well balanced and aptly ornamental manner.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention when the bracelet is delivered to a customer it will be provided with a pair of spaced ready-to-use watch attaching clips. The clips preferably used are horseshoeshaped in plan and therefore have turned in or hook-like terminals which may be anchored in bores or sockets provided therefor in an attaching and anchoring extension on a watch case. Stated otherwise novelty is predicated on a split wrist embracing bracelet or band having a flat central portion with horseshoe-shaped watch attaching and retaining clips at the ends of the flat portion and wherein, in addition, ornamental shell-like shields are provided, one for each clip, said shields being bend able and serving to conceal the clips and the extensions on the watch case to, in this manner, provide a practical and an appealing combination; namely, bracelet or band, a wrist watch with suitable extensions, and properly shielded horseshoe-like clips or the like mounted on the band and serving to mechanically join the ends of the watch case to the band and to thus provide a practical bracelet watch or, alternatively, watch-equipped bracelet.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the wrist watch, bracelet and improved attaching and retaining clips with a portion of one of the ornamental shields broken away to show the structural components and how they cooperate.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the combination seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view in section and elevation taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the watch attaching and retaining devices or clips.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the wristband or bracelet by itself.

Referring now to FIG. 5 in particular the numeral 6 designates a bracelet having curvate arms 8 with blunt terminals 10 spaced apart and adapted to permit the bracelet to be slipped over the wrist and then yieldingly held in place by the inherent resilient properties of the arms or limbs 8. The median or central portion of the bracelet is substantially straight and flat as at 12 and it is on this flattened portion that the wrist watch 14 is positioned and adapted to be mounted and clipped in place. As seen in FIG. 2 the case 16 of the watch has extensions or lugs 18 at the ends thereof each of which terminates in an anchoring hole 20. Thus it is this watch 14 with its bored extensions 18 is to be applied and mounted atop the flat part 12 of the bracelet 6. To accomplish this we have chosen the novel clips or attaching devices as shown. Each clip as an entity is denoted by the numeral 22 and it is made from stamped out metal, the main part being the horseshoe-shaped clip 24. The arms or limbs 26 have lateral turned in terminals. The clip is generally V-shaped in plan and resembles a miniature horseshoe for which reason it is referred to as a horseshoe clip and the turned in terminals or ends 28 form simple hooks. The arms or limb portions of the hooks may be spread apart slightly or bent out of coplanar relationship or even slightly twisted to make a satisfactory connection of the hooks with the bores or holes 20 in extensions 18 at the ends of the watch case 16.

In addition to the horseshoe-shaped clips each adapter or clip means as an entity includes an ornamental shield. This shield is here denoted by the numeral 30 and it is of concavo-convex form and has one end portion connected by a suitable bend or bent portion 32 to the body of the clip as perhaps shown best in FIG. 4. This junctional bent portion between the clip proper and shield 30 provides a satisfactory means for soldering the clip or adapter as at 34' to an end portion 36 of the flat part 12 of the bracelet. This is brought out clearly in FIG. 3. It follows that this flattened part of the bracelet comes equipped with the soldered clips attached at the points 36 and the ornamental shields are spread open to completely expose the clips proper and to facilitate making connection with the extensions 18 and attaching the watch 14 to the part 12 of the bracelet. The marginal edge 34 of each shield is preferably scalloped or similarly shaped to make it ornamental. The views of the drawings show the individual parts; namely the bracelet 6 with the flat portion 12, a watch 14 with bored or apertured extensions 18, and the adapter clips characterized by the horseshoe clip portions 24 and the ornamental bendable shields. As will be evident from the following claims novelty is predicated upon these components singly and collectively.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in mounting and securely retaining a wrist watch atop a flat median portion of a split-type wrist embracing band, a pair of adapters designed and adapted to be affixed to the exterior surface of the band at the respective ends of the flat median portion, each adapter embodying a one-piece clip embodying a clip proper horseshoe-shaped in plan, and a companion covering and concealing shield, said clip embodying coplanar arms having free ends connectible with sockets and extensions provided at a cooperating end of a wrist watch, like ends of said shield and clip being integrally connected together by a bendable joint, said joint permitting the shield to be moved to an out-of-the-way position to connect the clip with the watch extension, then bent back to a position in which the clip is virtually covered and concealed by the shield.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein said 3 4 shield is concave-convex, the clip being opposed to the 740,915 Porter Oct. 6, 1903 concave side and the clip and shield being interconnected 1,182,041 Robbins May 9, 1916 in;a, r elationship hat. the shield fullyoverlies the clip. 2,451,649 Andreoli Oct, 19, 1948 2,455,796 M De 7, 1948 References Cited in; the file ofthis pat ent 5 2 796 747 25 1957 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,824,353 Obst Feb. 25; 1958 D. 139,596 Preas: Dec. 5, 1944 2,828,901 Schmitt Ap1';1, 1958 D'.'143,8'16-' Elatau Feb. 12, 1946 2,896,289 Rodriguez 11113428, 1959 

